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Philadelphia Skyline

Taken from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this nighttime city scene includes the bronze and granite Washington Monument, the culture-heavy Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the iconic City Hall and the towering Comcast Center....

Valley Forge National Historical Park

During the bitter winter of 1777, General George Washington’s troops sought shelter in log cabins and huts as they worked and trained to become the Continental Army. Located on the rolling hills of Valley Forge National Historical Park, these reconstructed cabins help to depict the hardships and sacrifices made by...

Fonthill

Made entirely of reinforced concrete, Fonthill in Doylestown is as eccentric and exotic as its original owner, Henry Mercer, a noted tile-maker, archaeologist, antiquarian, artist and leader in the turn-of-the-century arts and crafts movement. Inside the castle, staircases wind through dozens of rooms and hallways adorned with antique prints, furnishings...

Blue Cross RiverRink

At the open-air Blue Cross RiverRink on Penn’s Landing, skaters take in a spectacular view of the city while gliding alongside the Delaware River. Outside the rink, a pop-up holiday winter garden and village called Waterfront Winterfest features craft vendors, music, food and drinks, and a holiday-themed light show dazzles...

Dilworth Park

Casting a warm glow on chilly winter days and nights, Dilworth Park is one of Center City Philadelphia’s newest and most popular gathering spots. With its easy access to public transportation and proximity to City Hall, the park features a pop-up ice skating rink, warming tent and a full slate...

Philadelphia Skyline

Built in 1926, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which traverses the Delaware River, connects Philadelphia, the nation’s fifth largest city, and New Jersey. More than 100,000 cars, dozens of pedestrians and high-speed rail lines cross the bridge daily....

Recent Releases

Earning a perfect score on the Human Right Campaign’s Municipality Index for three years running, Philadelphia continues to prove that it’s still one of the best destinations for LGBT travelers to get their history straight and their nightlife gay.

In 2015, Philadelphia marks the 50th Anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement with a year of commemorative exhibitions at major institutions and a Fourth of July weekend full of special events, including a re-enactment of the first “Annual Reminder,” which took place in front of Independence Hall on July 4, 1965.

Through March 1, 2015 THE ILLUSIONISTS. Direct from Broadway, the world’s best-selling magic show comes to the Academy of Music stage. Audiences are in awe of the jaw-dropping talents of seven incredible illusionists and their thrilling and sophisticated magic. (215) 893-1999, kimmelcenter.org

Through March 1, 2015PRIVATE LIVES. Dazzling and witty, this masterpiece comedy at the Walnut Street Theatre tells the story of divorcees Elyot

For years, insiders have flocked to South Philadelphia’s East Passyunk Avenue for its restaurants, particularly its red-gravy Italian spots. The neighborhood surrounding the avenue—a diagonal interruption to Philadelphia’s grid layout—has enjoyed revitalizations in recent years, creating a sort of renaissance for the thoroughfare itself.

Visitors who stroll down Passyunk (pronounced pashunk by those in the know) find eclectic boutiques, coffee shops, gastropubs, excellent Mexican and sushi fare, as well as the amazing Italian eateries that first made this street famous—not to mention the two across-the-street cheesesteak rivals, Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. Generally, the area known as East

Like its hip neighbor Northern Liberties, Fishtown has quickly become one of the coolest sections of Philadelphia, thanks to an influx of quality restaurants, inventive bars, impressive music venues and forward-thinking art galleries.

Philadelphians have found new and innovative uses for Fishtown ever since William Penn made peace with the Lenape Indians there in what’s now Penn Treaty Park. It’s the only place in the city where, in the same evening, someone can buy a custom-made guitar, drink craft beer while playing Tetris, eat stellar Yugoslavian food and visit the world’s only pizza museum. Fishtown’s Frankford Avenue Arts Corridor serves

Once considered Philadelphia’s favorite up-and-coming neighborhood, Northern Liberties has officially arrived, evidenced by the international restaurants, respected gastropubs and trendy boutiques—all this while maintaining the artistic vibe that made it so cool in the first place.

The warehouses that populate the former manufacturing district found new life as condos, galleries, stores and restaurants, and along with newly designed buildings, the area enjoys a pleasant mix of older functional and modern design. Two shopping/dining/art/entertainment plazas helped make Northern Liberties an accessible and thriving area: Liberties Walk and The Piazza at Schmidts.

When it comes to visiting Philadelphia, some of the best things to see and do are free—or close to it. For families and budget-conscious travelers eager to explore the region, that’s great news. Check out the city’s many low-cost or no-cost attractions, including historic Independence Hall, student recitals at the Curtis Institute of Music and the high-tech production line of Herr’s Potato Chip Factory.

Historical Sites:

Snuggled behind the east wing of Independence Hall is Philosophical Hall, a brick building erected in the late 1780s that was the nation’s first museum, national library and academy of science. Today, the

Weekends were made for brunching—chatting with friends, digging into a stack of syrupy pancakes, lingering over a cup of a coffee and/or a Bloody Mary. No one knows this better than Philadelphians, who have a wide array of fantastic brunch options to choose from every Saturday and Sunday. Whether the craving is for a prix-fixe menu offering foie gras and lobster (Lacroix), a Latin feast of plantains and agua fresca cocktails (Rosa Blanca) or fresh granola and locally grown berries (Talula’s Daily), Philadelphia foodies have plenty of go-to spots for a late-morning or early-afternoon

Dubbed the “Loft District” by real estate developers and “The Eraser ’Hood” by locals referencing the once-dark landscape that inspired former resident David Lynch’s cult classic Eraserhead, Callowhill is something in between these two extremes. The stylish-yet-still-transforming neighborhood attracts both young professionals who enjoy its high-end condos and close proximity to Center City and artists looking for affordable-yet-expansive studio and gallery spaces. It’s a formerly industrial neighborhood that charms with a rich stock of large, urban buildings, remnants of cobblestone streets, edgy rock clubs, emerging galleries and the kind of hidden cultural gems that intrigue visitors and residents alike.

On top of spaghetti, covered with cheese, tucked into a roll, grilled on a skewer—meatballs in all forms abound in Philadelphia, and not just in South Philly, the city’s largely Italian enclave. There are traditional Italian versions with gravy (Villa di Roma, for starters), Vietnamese pork balls in noodle soup (Vietnam), vegetarian tofu-ball sandwiches (Magic Carpet) and luxuriant rounds of short-rib hand-rolled by celebrity chefs (Barbuzzo). Here’s a look at some of the most memorable meatballs in the region:

Old-School Meatballs:

Repeat winner of the Golden Meatball Challenge between South Philadelphia and

As home to the world’s original and biggest craft beer week—Philly Beer Week—Philadelphia sets a high bar for beer events. In the city and suburbs, beerific happenings take place all year long that draw hundreds and thousands of beer lovers. Here’s a look at some of the oldest, largest, quirkiest and most popular celebrations of artisanal suds slated for 2015:

March:

Called “one of the top 10 beer festivals in America” by Forbes Traveler, the Philly Craft Beer Festival returns under tents at the Philadelphia Navy Yard with more than 75 national and international breweries, food trucks

Thanks for your interest in Philadelphia and The Countryside®.

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